Heckman: “It’s a lot different because when they start in the west you don’t have nearly as much traffic and you tend to have a little bit longer days and not as big as hills. So the trade off here is you have big hills, which are kind of fun if you like hills, but a lot of traffic.”

Heckman said the people of Auburn were very hospitable on Sunday, but it was hot. She said riders looked for places to cool down and had dinner at the bowling alley.

Mariette Cole, a retired school teacher from St. Paul, Minn., said the hills and traffic were not an issued compared to the beauty and things of interest along the route.

She stopped to check out “The Flowers of Nature,” one of the tree sculptures of the Enchanted Arboretum in Nebraska City. She said the trees really give Nebraska City a personality.

Cole: “It’s a really neat way to see the country because of the pace. You’re not going so slow, like you’re walking, you’re not driving past things. I always stop for all the historic markers and little museums and things.”

Over 300 riders started their journey from Falls City. They are expected to stop today at Weeping Water.